Prishtina, 23 May 2012 – Representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development have expressed their readiness to receive and discuss with representatives of Kosovo’s Independent Union of Energy Workers, who protested in front of the Ministry.

This readiness was also transmitted to the organizers of the said protest, which did not want to meet representatives of the KEDS Government Privatization Committee and MED.

The Minister of Economic Development, Besim Beqaj, and the staff of this ministry have to date always answered to meeting requests, and have to this end carried out a number of meetings with the Chairman and members of the Presidency of the Energy Workers Independent Unions Federation and its representatives in regions.

During these meetings discussions focused on the concerns of the syndical representatives the latter were given guarantees that the project for privatization of KEDS and the development of Kosova e Re Power Plan will ensure employment contracts for three years, and not only for staff that holds unlimited employment contracts but also for staff with temporary contracts, which comprises 60 percent of the overall number of KEDS employees.

Syndical representatives have welcomed and shown appreciation such engagement of the Government, the Government Privatization Committee and MED.

GPC and MED representatives have analyzed all requests presented by the trade union and have assessed that most of them are not a competency of MED, hence they will be addressed to the country’s competent institutions and bodies, as well as to the senior management and Board of Directors of KEK.

Otherwise, similar to the practice to date, Minister Beqaj expressed his readiness to meet and discuss with syndical representatives on all possible concerns pertaining to MED’s and GPC’s mandates, while ensuring that the process will be based on maximum respect to the decisions of the Assembly and Government of the Republic of Kosovo and will adhere to the applicable legislation.